Ice is food. It is in your drinks. It surrounds and cools foods.
Some food service operators and their employees take that fact for granted. They don’t take proper precautionary measures to handle the product properly or the necessary preventive maintenance measures to ensure that the ice machine is clean, sanitary and operating safely.
Listed below are some best practices and questions to ask. Some are basic and some are worth taking a second look.
Check drains and drain tubing. Where is the scoop kept? Are there bugs around? Has the machine been emptied, cleaned and sanitized lately? What do the gaskets look like? Are employees trained about proper handling? Do they use a glass that may chip or break or do they use their hands? How are the filters? Did you know there are filters?
Read more. Food Safety News, 17 July 2015
